Collegium's proposals can't remain in limbo: SC to govt

The Collegium's recommendations to appoint judges cannot remain in limbo, the Supreme Court told the Centre on Monday, emphasising that instead of sitting on them indefinitely, the government must either notify those appointments or send them back citing specific objections.

- Utkarsh Anand

"There are nine names for appointments in high courts that were sent afresh in last few months. Either they should be appointed or if the government has to say anything, they should be sent back with objections... It cannot be a limbo...why should the names lie with you indefinitely," a bench led by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul told attorney general R Venkataramani, adding that it should not come to such a pass that the apex court has to issue directions in this regard.

"The processes delineated in the judgment of this court and the timeline laid down in it should work out by themselves. It should not require any monitoring by this court," the bench, also comprising justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, recorded in its order while referring to the April 2021 judgment that prescribed a three-month deadline for the government to process the names.